Vendors talk about what Cardinal Health RBC means for them

Mike Aigner, director of national accounts, Mylan
Q: What do you hope to get out of the RBC show?
A: We’d like to reach as many customers as possible. Cardinal has been an absolutely great partner for many years.

Q: How are independents important to your business?
A: They’re a very viable partner for us, and we rely very strongly on their opinions on supply and quality of Mylan’s products.
Q: What’s a message you would like to send to attendees?
A: We just appreciate them attending and supporting the show. We always appreciate the candid feedback that customers provide to Mylan.

Teri Coward, senior director of sales, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA
Q: What do you hope to get out of the RBC show?
A: I think it’s good for Teva, as a leader in the pharmaceutical space, to support our partner, Cardinal Health, as they support independents.

Q: How are independents important to your business?
A: When you look at wholesalers like Cardinal Health, their source program is driven by independents, so they’re very important to our business. Teva and Cardinal Health drive business to independents.
Q: What’s a message you would like to send to attendees?
A: They need to understand that they must continue to do what they’re doing and that they are a very important part of the healthcare arena.

Dean Cowen, national account director, Bausch + Lomb
Q: What do you hope to get out of the RBC show?
A: Communicating product information, listening to customer feedback and meeting with Cardinal Health management.

Q: How important are independents to your business?
A: Extremely important for their personal touch with consumers.
Q: What’s a message you would like to send to attendees?
A: Bausch + Lomb is committed to them in terms of consistent supply, product quality and consumer trust.

Dave Bartel, VP corporate accounts, TCGRx
Q: What do you hope to get out of the RBC show?
A: Every year, we get some very good leads for our sales, and we’re hoping to [again] this year. Interfacing with the field representatives is key for us. We’re always hoping to meet representatives from different territories.

Q: How important are independents to your business?
A: Very! That’s exactly whom we target – that’s our strategy.
Q: What’s a message you would like to send to attendees?
A: I would say to them that now is the time to make sure their operations are under control, so they really need to make sure they’re up to speed.

Albert Marko, co-founder, Bluwave
Q: What do you hope to get out of the RBC show?
A: Basically, just more exposure to our clients. Exposure is important to us.

Q: How are independents important to your business?
A: Working with Cardinal has been great. They’ve been pretty helpful, and we’re excited to be here. Companies like us are trying as hard as we can to maximize return on investment.
Q: What’s a message you would like to send to attendees?
A: Our system is pretty solid. Our customer service is top-notch. A normal pharmacy employing three to four consulting pharmacists could cut it down to one using our system.

Brown Massey, national accounts manager, Amneal
Q: What do you hope to get out of the RBC show?
A: Talking with pharmacists and finding out what we can do to help them out. Just representing our company and putting a face on it.

Q: How are independents important to your company?
A: They’re an integral part of the industry, serving many people.
Q: What’s a message you would like to send to attendees?
A: We’re a family-owned company, a lot like they are, and we’re all working hard in this industry.

Q&A with Mike Kaufmann live from the 2013 Cardinal Health RBC

SEATTLE — The evening before the official kick off of the Cardinal Health 2013 Retail Business Conference, DSN took an opportunity to sit with Mike Kaufmann, CEO Cardinal Health Pharmaceutical Segment, to discuss what RBC is all about — Cardinal Health’s commitment to the independent operator.

DSN: Cardinal Health serves a host of customers from chain pharmacy to hospital systems. But the independent pharmacy owner has always been a key focus for Cardinal Health. Can you talk to us about the importance of the independent operator to Cardinal Health?

MIKE KAUFMANN: Our retail independent customers are very important providers of patient care in their communities. When we serve an independent pharmacy, we have a chance to serve an entrepreneur, an owner, who cares about their local community and provides the critical healthcare services it needs. As a partner to these business owners we provide services that help them run their pharmacies more efficiently, help them manage reimbursements and help them attract new patients. In a sense we are the business support behind their businesses. This is a partnership we take very seriously given their essential role in their communities.

DSN: Conferences can be a lot of work and a big commitment in time and resources, and the 2013 RBC is on record as the biggest in the history of the event, both in terms of total square footage and the total number of vendors in attendance. Why does RBC still remain an important event for Cardinal Health and why does Cardinal Health continue to support this venue?

KAUFMANN: We think keeping retail independents alive and thriving is critical to the U.S. healthcare system. We have been hosting RBC for 23 years because it allows us to showcase not only the best-in-class offerings we have for retail independents but also so that our pharmacy customers can get together and learn from the best —each other. At RBC we share best practices and provide continuing education. But often it’s the informal networking that generates the sharing of ideas and results in stronger retail independents.

We also feature our supplier partners on the exhibit floor. Our customers appreciate being able to see all the suppliers in one place and interact and learn from them as well. We know that we couldn’t do this show without supplier support and partnership and we thank them for their participation.

This year we again have thousands of attendees at RBC and it is truly energizing to see all these people in support of retail independent pharmacy in one place.

DSN: Promoting women in pharmacy has long been a strategic priority for Cardinal Health. Why are women pharmacy owners important to Cardinal Health, and how does Cardinal Health support women in pharmacy at RBC?

KAUFMANN: Women make up about 60% of the graduates from pharmacy schools and make 80% of the healthcare decisions for their families. With numbers like these, helping women advance their potential is not only the right thing to do but the smart thing to do.

We launched our Women in Pharmacy initiative three years ago to connect successful female pharmacy owners with young women pharmacists who are interested in running their own pharmacy. We create forums for pharmacists and potential owners to learn from each other and understand best practices. Every year at RBC, we host a day-long Boot Camp where female pharmacy students participate in sessions on pharmacy ownership, get tips of the trade and learn financial basics.

Given how critical retail independents are to their communities we want to ensure new pharmacy graduates consider ownership an option for their careers. We want to help them access the knowledge they need to open up a pharmacy and experience the rewards of business ownership.

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